Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for drone component manufacturers.
A checklist built from how drone component manufacturers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Prepreg cold store and out-time
- Layup and cure records
- Motor winding and balance
- Thrust stand and propeller tests
- Cell grading and pack building
- Board firmware and test
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For plant managers
- For composite technicians
- For motor and propeller line staff
- For test engineers
- For stores staff
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Prepreg rolls by remaining life
- Cure cycle results by mould and oven
- Thrust and vibration results by motor lot
- Cell grades and pack capacity by cell lot
- Firmware versions shipped by board serial
- Rejects by part family and cause
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Test stand data import
- Oven controller export
- Barcode and label printers
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- How is prepreg out-time handled?
- Can cure cycles be kept with each frame?
- How are battery packs traced?
- Can thrust test results be stored per motor?
- Is propeller balance recorded?
- Does it track firmware on boards?
- Does it handle rules for shipping lithium packs?
- Can we run several part families at once?
- How is the price set?
- Can our serial data be exported?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Prepreg life expires unseen
- Cure cycles live on the oven controller
- Cells are mixed without grading
- Thrust readings are scattered
- Shipping rules for cells are an afterthought
Prefer to talk it through? See the drone component manufacturers page.